What A Mighty Good Mann

I have so many great things in my life that I am grateful for. A stable job. A house. No car payments. No student loans. 2 healthy sons. Access to multiple Targets within 10 miles of my house.

But my big one? Kevin. I thanked him here for doing what he does for me but having a newborn on our hands, I feel like I need to add to that list. This recent stint with my breastfeeding woes has made me cherish him even more.

With my PPD history, he knows sleep makes a big difference in my outlook. While naps are good to have of course, that night time parenting piece is hard. If I’m tired and I am walking a newborn through the halls, I start to get overwhelmed pretty quickly. Add to that the nursing issues we have had and I am a total ticking time bomb. Kevin has been right there for me. To swoop in to save me when I am at my wit’s end. He has been sleeping downstairs to keep the screamer for sleeping at night. I sleep upstairs and listen for Landon. When it is time to eat, I come down and feed him while K gets a jump start on sleep. While I wish we could all sleep on at least the same floor now, I know we are all learning each other. (NOTE: We have now transitioned to co sleeping and it is going fairly well. More on that later…)I can’t walk a frantic baby because he just wants to root all over me. No matter if he just came off me. I hate it and feel guilty but it is what it is. We will get there. Once again, I know it is a phase we just have to survive and WE is the important word there.

Now if sleep wasn’t enough, Kevin has taken on every chore while I heal. This past week my bleeding picked up and the doc said I was on my feet too much. So Thursday I sat on the couch while he literally vacuumed around me.

He cleaned the fridge.

He makes/heats up most meals.

He makes toddler dinners.

He disciplines Landon.

He mows the grass.

He does the laundry.

He does bedtime.

He runs errands non stop including going to Buy Buy Baby at 9pm to get me breast shells.

He is working out a schedule that allows him to be at home with me until I am well healed.

He takes Landon to and from school.

He washes my pump parts, syringes, etc.

He gets up with me for moral support while I feed at night.

He holds the little swinging baby arm so it won’t claw my nipple.

He still is working a job all the while.

and

He still loves me.

So thank you honey. I know I have trouble “talking” but I really mean it. See even just typing it makes me teary eyed and you know I can’t talk when I cry and shit. Even when I am at my wit’s end with something, I still know you are there for me…even if I am short with you. It’s tough but we can weather it. I am a lucky woman and I just wanted you to know.

So I’ve read your blog for a while and I don’t think I’ve ever commented. But I love this post. I remember being so overwhelmed with my first. Don’t know how I would have done it without my husband coming home from work and ordering me to take a nap while he took care of the baby and made dinner and folded laundry and cleaned…yeah, those husbands can be pretty awesome. 🙂

What a great post and support system. On days I wanted to quit breastfeeding my husband was there to get me thru one more feeding. We just took it one day at a time. And lucky for me he was home for 4 weeks. 🙂 enjoy this crazy time!

I’m SO glad you have that! Clint was that rock for me. I am the same way as you in so many ways. When H & I were struggling with breastfeeding and she would get so worked up trying to latch that I would lose it and freak out he’d take her, calm her down and help me try again to get her to latch. He would wake up at night to change Hannah & get her ready for her feeding when she woke up so that I could fill up my water, get my pillows all propped up and pee before feeding her. I honestly don’t know how I would have survived without him. I’m such a hot mess of emotions and his calm demeanor was such a nice comfort for me.

most importantly, he’s always loves you, still loves you and always will…….having another kid can be a struggle; but it also does wonders in the abundance of love that it adds to all of your lives 🙂 High fives to Kev!!!

I love reading these love letters!! I am so glad you two have each other. I can tell you that your Mann is just as happy to have you as you are to have him. He does all this because he loves you!! Your boys are lucky to have a great father.